According to the police complaint filed on September 10, the girl was HIV negative before the start of chemotherapy in March but tested positive in a blood check done in August after four sessions. During the time, she was injected with blood several times as part of her treatment.

Picture for Representation. (Photo: Reuters)

Thiruvananthapuram: The father of a nine-year-old blood cancer patient in Thiruvananthapuram has alleged that his daughter tested positive for HIV after a blood transfusion at Regional Cancer Centre (RCC).

According to the police complaint filed on September 10, the girl was HIV negative before the start of chemotherapy in March but tested positive in a blood check done in August after four sessions. During the time, she was injected with blood several times as part of her treatment.

Her blood samples were sent to a lab in Mumbai which confirmed on September 9 that the child was HIV positive.

Kerala Police have filed a case under Section 336 of IPC, which deals with negligent acts endangering the life or personal safety of others. They are trying to find out details of the blood transfusions done on her and have requested the government to set up a medical board.

An RCC statement said the girl was given 49 units of blood during her treatment from March to August. It said the institute followed all protocols during blood transfusion and that there are chances that the virus in the blood will not show up in tests for a 1-3 month window period after infection.

RCC officials also said their internal enquiry is going on but so far they could not find any source from where the child could have contracted the virus.

Government-run RCC Thiruvananthapuram is the biggest cancer care centre in Kerala taking care of at least 750 out patients a day, 70% of whom are treated almost free of charge.